How to breed a better working dog

University of Sydney researchers have identified and mapped the genetic traits that will improve the accuracy of breeding high-performing working dogs for Australian farmers. The project used DNA analysis to reveal gene behaviour associations and calculated heritability estimates that could underpin a database for potential estimated breeding value (EBV) calculations, which are widely used in livestock industries.

Up until now, the economic worth of working dogs had never been calculated and objective measures of desirable genetic traits had been unavailable. The study has therefore paved the way for an objective system of selection and breeding to be developed and put in place.

“Despite widespread acknowledgment of the important contribution the Australian livestock working dog makes to livestock industries and the rural economy, many aspects that influence dog performance and breeding and selection success have not been previously quantified, and a lot were anecdotal,” said lead researcher Professor Paul McGreevy.

“To optimise dog performance and success rates, and thus minimise so-called wastage, this research was required to provide evidence-based information to those who breed, train, handle, work and trial livestock working dogs.”

The research showed that many of the traits that working dog breeders and handlers value, such as trainability and boldness with stock, have strongly inherited components. These heritability estimates indicate the expected effectiveness of a selective breeding program and can be used to generate EBVs. This approach will help breeders to better select breeding dogs and identify kennels that have similar breeding goals to their own.

The traits that cluster most strongly together in working dogs are intelligence, calmness, patience and trainability, according to the study. The researchers also calculated an estimation of the economic worth of the working dog, revealing a five-fold return on investment. This was calculated by estimating the costs associated with acquiring, training and maintaining them, and an estimate of the work they typically perform over a lifetime.

The study has been funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA). It is available to download from the RIRDC website.